As a known roof apparatus, which includes a movable panel opening and closing an opening portion formed at a roof portion of a vehicle, various types of roof apparatuses are suggested. As illustrated in FIG. 14, for example, a known roof apparatus described in JP2012-96766A (hereinafter referred to as Patent reference 1) includes a movable panel 102 opening and closing an opening portion 101 formed at a roof portion 100 of a vehicle, and a guide rail 103 provided at a vehicle width direction edge portion of the opening portion 101 to be extended in a vehicle front/rear direction (that is, a direction orthogonal to the paper surface on which FIG. 14 is drawn). A first rail portion 103a and a second rail portion 103b are provided at the guide rail 103. A drive belt 104 for transmitting a driving force of an appropriate electric drive source is movable at the guide rail 103. A support protruding portion 105a of a front side link member 105 which is connected to a front portion of the vehicle width direction edge portion of the movable panel 102 is movable at the second rail portion 103b. At an opening edge, which is at a vehicle front portion, of the second rail portion 103b, the second rail portion 103b is in communication with a guide groove portion provided at a front side guide member (not shown). The guide groove portion is inclined in a vehicle upward direction towards the vehicle rear direction.
The drive belt 104 is linked to the front side link member 105, and is linked to a rear side link member (not shown) which is connected to a rear portion of the vehicle width direction edge portion of the movable panel 102.
In a fully-closed state of the movable panel 102, due to an operation or a movement of the rear side link member in association with movement of the drive belt 104 in the vehicle rear direction, a rear portion of the movable panel 102 is moved upwardly relative to the support protruding portion 105a which is positioned at the guide groove portion and serves as a fulcrum point of the upward movement of the movable panel 102. Thus, the movable panel 102 is brought into a so-called tilt-up state. In addition, in the tilt-up state of the movable panel 102, as the support protruding portion 105a moves or enters from the guide groove portion into the second rail portion 103b due to the movement of the drive belt 104 further in the vehicle rear direction, a front portion of the movable panel 102 is moved upwardly. Thus, the movable panel 102 is brought into a so-called pop-up state. While the pop-up state is being maintained, the support protruding portion 105a moves along the second rail portion 103b and the movable panel 102 performs a sliding movement.
According to the guide rail 103 of Patent reference 1, the first rail portion 103a, at which the drive belt 104 moves, is provided at an outer side in the vehicle width direction relative to an opening edge end of the opening portion 101. In addition, the second rail portion 103b, at which the support protruding portion 105a moves, is provided at an inner side relative to the opening edge end of the opening portion 101. As described above, because the first and second rail portions 103a and 103b are arranged so as not to be overlapped with each other in the vehicle width direction, the guide rail 103 needs to be increased in size in the vehicle width direction.
A need thus exists for a roof apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.